Funky Cold Medina

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"Funky Cold Medina"
Funky Cold Medina.jpg
Single by Tone Lōc
from the album Lōc-ed After Dark
ReleasedMarch 18, 1989
Recorded1988
GenreRap rock
Length4:08
LabelDelicious Vinyl
Songwriter(s)Marvin Young, Matt Dike, Michael Ross
Tone Lōc singles chronology
"Wild Thing"
(1989) 		"Funky Cold Medina"
(1989) 		"I Got It Goin' On"
(1990)

"Funky Cold Medina" is a hip hop song written by Young MC, Matt Dike and Michael Ross,[1] and first performed by Tone Lōc. It was the second single from Lōc's debut album Lōc-ed After Dark (1989). The single was released on March 18, 1989, and rose to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month where it went platinum, selling over one million copies and becoming the second ever platinum-certified rap single (after Wild Thing from the same album being the first). It peaked on the UK Singles Chart at number 13 in May of that year.

According to Flavor Flav, who is heard using the phrase "cold medina" a year earlier on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, "cold medina" was one of his assertive affirmations throughout the 1980s and was adopted by labelmates Beastie Boys as a nickname for the cocktail known as a "fuzzy navel"; Flav allegedly later advised Tone Loc to use the catchphrase in a song.[2]

The song contains several samples. The drum break is from "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by Funkadelic, and the main guitar riff is from "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner. Other samples are taken from "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (when this song is mentioned in the lyrics), "Christine Sixteen" by Kiss, "All Right Now" by Free and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman–Turner Overdrive.[3]

After the song became popular, several different cocktails were introduced bearing the name "Funky Cold Medina".[4]

Synopsis[]

The song tells the story of Tone Lōc's experiences with "Funky Cold Medina", a potent aphrodisiac in liquid form. At the beginning of the song, Loc consults a fellow club-goer who appears to be having more success with women than Loc is. The unnamed stranger informs Loc that his success is the result of his use of the Funky Cold Medina, which makes anyone who drinks it irresistible to others (although this is later contradicted by lyrics that suggest that it makes those who drink it find others irresistible).[5]

Loc initially tests the formula on his dog who, upon drinking it, becomes uncharacteristically affectionate towards Loc and appears to attract the neighbourhood dogs to Loc's house. Loc then tries the formula on a potential love interest, who unexpectedly turns out to be a cross-dresser.[5] His next effort involves him appearing on a dating show and a meeting a woman who immediately wants to marry him, which scares Loc away. Ultimately Loc concludes the formula is too much trouble, and resolves to stop using it.[5]

Track listings[]

US vinyl, 12", promo[6]

  • A1 "Funky Cold Medina" [Vocal] – 4:11
  • A2 "Funky Cold Medina" [Funky Beats] – 2:46
  • B1 "Funky Cold Medina" [Instrumental] – 4:08
  • B2 "Funky Cold Medina" [Funky Acappella] – 1:18

US promo

  1. "Funky Cold Medina" [7" version] – 4:11

Charts[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 13
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 20
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 13
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 3
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[15] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 3
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[17] 7
West Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 7

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1989) Position
Australia (ARIA)[19] 39
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 99
US Billboard Hot 100[21][22] 65

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[19] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ ASCAP Ace System.
  2. ^ Ardell, Jena (2011-06-02). "Flavor Flav on Addiction, Coining the Title of a Tone Loc Song, and How a Crackhead Started His Clock Trend". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  3. ^ "SongFacts - Funky Cold Medina by Tone-Lōc". songfacts.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  4. ^ Esther Iverem, "We Think It's Legal: Would You Like a Funky Cold Medina?", Newsday, July 8, 1989, part 2, p. 15.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Tone Lōc – Funky Cold Medina". genius.com. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  6. ^ https://www.discogs.com/Tone-Loc-Funky-Cold-Medina/master/76169
  7. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 946." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  10. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. ^ "Charts.nz – Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina". Top 40 Singles.
  12. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina". Swiss Singles Chart.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  14. ^ "Tone Loc Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "Tone Loc Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "Tone Loc Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  17. ^ "Tone Loc Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  20. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 8, December 23, 1989". RPM. December 23, 1999. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  21. ^ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 101 (51): Y-22. December 23, 1989.
  22. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989".

External links[]

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